This is a topic for which I have a passion. I do not share the often expressed view that everyone in Ireland should live in a conurbation nor do I believe that everyone should live in a high-rise building, a view often implicit in criticisms of Irish settlement strategy. There is a very specific settlement pattern in Ireland and I believe that must be reflected in our planning process.
I am very grateful for the invitation to discuss sustainable rural housing guidelines for planning authorities. These guidelines were one of the first areas of planning reform I introduced on becoming Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I believe they are balanced, fair and entirely appropriate for Ireland.
The last decade has witnessed a dramatic transformation in this country. We continue to experience strong economic growth, and our population is also surging ahead with the highest rate of population growth across the EU. Preliminary figures from the 2006 census indicate that the country's population has grown by over 8% in the four years since the last census to 4.235 million people. More importantly, every county recorded an increase in population. This is a marvellous reversal of a situation that has existed in this country for far too long and is something we should celebrate.
A growing population needs housing accommodation and the challenge for us all is to decide how and where to best cater for this increased demand. This is a basic issue. The Government recognises the strong and continuing tradition of Irish people living in rural areas and approximately one third of people live in the countryside. This is not a problem; I celebrate it as a challenge. It is vital therefore that the future viability of such rural communities be supported.
This does not mean, however, that we facilitate unrestricted building and development. That would be the antithesis of proper planning. Housing development in rural areas should complement, rather than dominate, its natural surroundings. It is for this reason that a balanced and sustainable approach must be adopted at both national and, more importantly, local level.
Draft guidelines for planning authorities on sustainable rural housing were published in March 2004 to give all interested parties an opportunity to comment before the guidelines were finalised in statutory form. My Department received 105 submissions on the draft guidelines from interested organisations and individuals, and many suggestions for clarifying or improving the guidance were incorporated in the finalised guidelines.
I published the finalised sustainable rural housing guidelines for planning authorities in April 2005. They endeavour to strike a balance between a good planning framework for rural housing and making it easier for those who are part of, or have links to, local rural communities to build a house. The guidelines thus represent a presumption in favour of quality, one-off housing for rural communities, provided proposals meet normal standards in matters such as the proper disposal of waste water, road safety and so on.
The guidelines consolidate the approach taken towards rural housing in the national spatial strategy, which aims to support rural communities and provide the framework within which rural communities can develop economically and socially. Planning authorities are required to review and vary their development plans, where necessary, to ensure that their policies on rural settlement are consistent with the policies set out in the guidelines. They are also a material consideration in determining planning applications. The committee will hear from the chairperson of An Bord Pleanála on that.
Specifically, the guidelines provide that people who are part of the rural community should be facilitated by the planning system in all rural areas, including those under strong urban-based pressures. They are part of the fabric of life here, so their rights must be recognised in the planning system. Anyone wishing to build a house in a rural area suffering persistent and substantial population decline will be accommodated. Obviously bringing new people to the area helps to maintain sustainability.
The development of the rural environment of major areas is dealt with by the guidelines including the gateways and hubs identified in the national spatial strategy, county towns and those with populations over 5,000 and needs to be carefully managed to ensure orderly development and successful functioning into the future. In a circular letter issued in May 2005, planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála were asked to put in place the required procedures and practices to implement the policies set out in the guidelines as quickly and effectively as possible. Significantly, all planning authorities were asked to take immediate steps to review their development plans to incorporate any necessary changes and ensure that development plan policies were consistent with the policies set out in the guidelines. This has been done, with some authorities varying their plans and others incorporating the guidelines directly into reviews of development plans.
My Department, in addition, held two seminars last year for local authority planning officials on the implementation of the guidelines. These dealt with the overall objectives of the guidelines and provided practical advice on the implementation of their core provisions, including: the preparation of development plan policies; the provision of better support and advice to applicants; and more efficient and comprehensive consideration of planning applications.
While respecting the need to consider each planning application individually and on its own merits, planning officials were advised of the need to ensure that the provisions of the guidelines are applied consistently and uniformly. I know this is one of the areas of concern to members of the committee. The Department also held discussions on the guidelines with the planning committee of the City and County Managers Association. These discussions focused on the need to give due regard to the guidelines in the consideration of planning applications. In addition, they were requested to strategically reflect the guidelines in their development plan policies and other crosscutting functions. I have visited virtually every county, as the Chairman knows. I try to meet senior planning officials and management and usually do in the course of my work. Again, because Members of the Oireachtas are worried about consistency, I tend to focus on the importance of this in the application of the guidelines.
The guidelines have a vital role in preventing the undesirable urbanisation of rural areas. They advocate development plan policies that distinguish between urban and rural generated housing. This should help to avoid ribbon and haphazard development. It is not in the script but the guidelines are also intended to inject an element of humanity into the planning system. One of the changes I introduced — and it was a novel reference — concerned people who were forced to emigrate in the past and who wanted to come and live out their remaining years in their own areas. Although there has been some criticism of this, I see nothing wrong with, and great merit in granting permission to somebody who had to leave Kerry, Cork, Wicklow or wherever, because of the economic situation at the time, and who is now prepared to come home and live out his or her final years in Ireland. It is only right that we should welcome back our emigrants. I have reflected this in the guidelines. I have also reflected the difficulties that present occasionally to families which have a disabled child or member, suggesting they should be given particular consideration. This comes out of my practical experience. I was walking a street with a councillor in Meath, who was not of my political persuasion, when I was approached by a young woman with two children with very challenging conditions, who could not get planning permission. I wrote not that specific case, but that consideration into the guidelines, because we are at nothing if there is not humanity in the planning system. Again, there was some criticism of that initiative and I cannot understand the logic that informs this.
The implementation of the guidelines is a priority for my Department. I am confident they will continue to help rural communities to develop and flourish to their full potential. Through them we can achieve a balance in the planning system that will facilitate local people who want to live in their own areas and help to revitalise rural communities in a sustainable manner.
I will now turn to the second issue, namely, the wind energy development guidelines. These were launched on 29 June last and are intended to ensure consistency of approach throughout the country in identifying suitable locations for wind energy developments and in determining planning applications for such initiatives. We can assist in delivering on some key Government priorities, for example, by helping to reduce harmful emissions, achieve our Kyoto targets and deliver a local, reliable and renewable energy source through wind. Wind energy has enormous potential on this island. There are planning issues, and the guidelines are aimed at addressing them.
Major advances have been made in the technology of wind energy production, as well as increased levels of economic activity, since the original guidelines were published in 1996. This extended and updated version takes account of those changes and provides much more user-friendly advice for planning authority staff than was previously the case. The guidelines highlight the need for a plan-led approach to wind energy applications. This helps ensure reasonable certainty for wind energy, for wind energy promoters and local communities. They include a step-by-step guide to the evaluation of suitable sites, including detailed illustrated examples of siting arrangements of wind energy developments.
For example, the new guidelines identify six main topographical landscapes for the siting of wind turbines and provide innovative illustrations and mock-ups to demonstrate practical examples of what is and what is not considered acceptable. Wind farms may help us to deliver our global environmental commitments. I believe they will, but we have to ensure they do not affect the local environment negatively. The guidelines, therefore, offer best practice advice on mitigating impacts on the built and natural heritage and help ensure that any problems are tackled up front in the planning process.
The core tenets of the Government's energy policy are the importance of having a secure and uninterrupted supply of electricity, underpinned by a diversity of fuel use in electricity generation. It also has regard to the guiding principles of the national climate change strategy, to promote sustainable development, ensure sectoral equity and protect economic development and competitiveness. Currently, Ireland has more than half of the renewable energy sources target connected to the national grid. More than 70% of this is generated from wind power. There is more than 3,000 MW of renewable generation in the grid connection application process, the vast bulk comprising wind energy generation, and that will undoubtedly grow.
We cannot ignore the fact that in the past the issue of wind energy development in certain areas has been a source of some controversy. We can well understand this and we must listen to people who have problems. These guidelines bring greater clarity to the role of the planning process in considering applications. They will help ease the genuine concerns of many local communities about the impact of new technologies on their lives. Ultimately consultation is the key. I am pleased that a notable aspect in the development of the guidelines has been the high level of public consultation.
These guidelines will greatly facilitate a speedier, more efficient planning system. They will also be very important in facilitating the production of sustainable energy and will benefit us all in that regard.